Unlucky For Some
by Corvidaeus
Summary: With a history stretching back only three years this District Six tribute is something of an anomaly. We meet her as she is reaped but her past may well prove to be more interesting, and longer, than her future.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One - Seven months, 26 days. So close.

Corophon looked around her. A sea of worried faces, a whisper of empty reassurances drifting over them like fog. 'It will be ok, they wont pick us. We'll be fine.' Coro followed the voice and saw Jameson Spanner reassuring his latest squeeze. Pointless, thought Corophon, he can't know that. A guess at best and a bad one. Given the status of the Spanner family in District Six his name at least was in the pot with the rest of them. Coro didn't know the girl, although she had seen her around they moved in different circles. Coro barely had a circle.

Perhaps the girl was safe, perhaps her name had 'accidentally' been left out. There were rumours that it happened, there were whispers and rumours about a lot of things, but few people actually talked about it openly. Perhaps Jameson and the girl would both be chosen. Interesting test for their relationship, thought Corothon.

The sound system came alive with a couple of dull thuds, followed by an earsplitting screech while some sound tech fiddled with the controls.

On stage a woman was tapping the microphone, smiling broadly at the gathered crowd.

'People of District Six, welcome to the Reapings for the 71st Annual Hunger Games! May the odds be in your favour!' She paused in anticipation but the expected cheers were slow to build. The 'prompting' of Peacekeepers gradually took effect and the noise level rose.

On the stage Alithia Golde, her almost perpetual smile looking decidedly fixed now, glanced sideways nervously, off stage, then gathered herself and continued. 'And now, we have a video from the Capitol.' She swept her arm towards the huge screen at the rear of the stage and stepped away.

On screen the pictures appeared, the same pictures as last year, and the year before. The same pictures that had been shown since the Games began. Coro looked away, preferring to watch the crowd.

'Wasn't that wonderful?', gushed Alithia, when the film finished, the Panem symbol bright on the screen. A mute silence then a reluctant wave of agreement. Alithia ploughed on. 'Ok, then, what we have all been waiting for, we will now find out which lucky boy and girl will be honoured with a place in the 71st Annual Hunger Games! Yay! Yay? Ok. Now, ladies first, mustn't forget our manners. Ha ha.'

Reaching out, her hand hovered over the bowl for a second, before plunging in to pull out a ticket. After looking at it for a second she held it aloft, waving it excitedly like a little flag.

'Corophon Slede! Where are you Corophon, come on up, don't be shy'.

'Shit', thought Coro. 'Ok, let's do this.' She walked to the stage slowly, head down, shoulders slumped. Standing next to Alithia she looked out towards the crowd, picking out her adoptive parents, their faces drawn and anxious. She smiled wanly at them.

Hi, Corophon', sang the twittering Alithia, 'and how old are you then?'

Corophon looked up at her and answered quietly but precisely, ' Seventeen years, four months and two days'. Alithia giggled, 'So precise'. Corophon held her gaze and Alithia giggled again, nervously. Then, looking away, she reached for the boys bowl. In the crowd Corophon's parents exchanged confused glances. On another screen, miles away, a disinterested watcher looked up with renewed interest.

A dramatic pause, held for too long, an anonymous 'Get on with it' from the crowd, then, 'Jameson, Jameson Spanner! Jameson, come on down! Er, up.'

Corophon saw Jameson stiffen, then turn back into the crowd. They parted to let him through but two Peacekeepers grabbed his arms before he had gone more than a few paces. How convenient that they had been standing so close, there had been two not five paces from her too.

Pushed and dragged to the stage then thrust up the steps, Jameson stumbled onto the stage. He walked slowly towards Alithia and stood beside her.

'Hi, Jameson, bit nervous are we? You must be so proud.' She smiled her best dazzling smiled. Jameson looked at her incredulously, then looked away.

'Well, Jameson, how old are you then?'

He looked back at her and mumbled, 'Sixteen. Sixteen years and a few months'.

Alithia paused for a moment, thinking, then turned towards the crown. 'It seems that precision isn't a common District Six trait then...' She waited for the well deserved laugh but it didn't appear. Oh well, they would dub it on later. They had been a very unappreciative crowd. Corothon's parents avoided each others glances.

As the Panem Anthem began to play and the Peacekeepers ushered Corophon and Jameson away Alithia gushed, 'Isn't this wonderful!'

Jameson recovered a little and tried to make conversation. "What do you reckon the odds are of one of us winning?" he asked.

Coro ran the odds in her head. It was quick and dirty, took no account of the actual skills of the tributes, just relied on the number of previous victors from their district, but it would have to do. "There are 24 tributes. Districts One, Two and Four each have more than three times the number of victors District Six has. Also, if you add in the number of victors from Districts Three, Five and Seven, who all have about twice the number of victors District Six has. The remaining districts all have either the same number of victors or less. Therefore, there is a one in three hundred and sixty chance that one of us will survive."

In reality it was far, far less than that. For him at least. But if Spanner, jeez, who came up with these names, was to be any use she couldn't demoralise him at this point.

He looked at her, blinking and stupid, like an owl disturbed from its hollow.

'Oh, great, thanks'.

'One hour' grunted the Peacekeeper, opening the door.

Corophon entered and her mother leapt up from her chair and ran to her. She wrapped her arms around her and held on so tightly Corophon could barely breath. Her father stood to the side, looking uneasy.

When her mother finally released her, Corophon went to him. 'I know what you're going to say. I'm sorry.'

He looked at her for a moment. 'You must have your reasons. So precise, to the day.'

'I know, I'm sorry. Ok, so you know at least that much. No memory loss, no amnesia. I don't know that there's time now but I'll tell you what I can. That I'm not from District Six you already know.'

Her mother interrupted, 'We know dear, they told us you were from Eight but you couldn't even sew a button. We put it down to the stress, the amnesia. I guessed it was more likely Nine, you were big for your age, obviously well fed, strong. No signs of malnutrition...'

'Mum, be quiet, you have to be quiet. I have so much to tell you and very little time. Please.'


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 - I have friends I haven't even used yet...

The camera pans slowly across the open space, its long arc taking in the Education Block at one end and Storage Facility 7 at the other. In between, an expanse of dust, shattered foundations and twisted metal skeletons, the remains of once tall buildings, now none higher than a few feet. The buildings are damaged, blockwork exposed beneath render, corners rounded. They have no windows, solid looking but derelict. Nothing moves but the camera, now beginning its return journey. In the moonlight it takes on an alien look, other wordly.

In the shadow of the Storage Facility crouches a darker shadow, still and quiet. It waits for a moment then detaches itself from the building and moves quickly but carefully back, away from the open space and the wreckage, towards the collection of buildings behind, towards the building on which sits the camera. Looking briefly at the position of the camera it darts quickly forward, into a doorway, opens the door and enters.

Once inside the dark figure removes the black overalls to reveal a young girl. She is about 12, tall for her age and has short hair and blue eyes. Corophon is her name and she is not happy.

Stuffing the overalls into a holdall Corophon moves quickly down the corridor, down the three flights of stairs and into the dormitory. Creeping to her bed she is just about to climb in when a voice whispers, 'Been outside after curfew again?'

'Sshh, go to sleep, Kendra.'

But Kendra is not so easily dissuaded. 'What was it this time?'

Sighing, Coro tip toes to Kendra's bed. 'Timing the camera on the west expanse. It's too fast, just like the north, south, and east. I couldn't cover that distance in time. If I'm spotted they'll be after me.'

'Coro, it's not really that bad, is it? Really? We eat, we learn, we work. We even get to play'.

Corophon holds up her arm, displaying faded writing on her wrist. 'This, this is too much'. On her arm is a bar code, printed there that morning, encoding her timetable, status, resource entitlement, medical needs. The code is reprinted each morning, updated and adjusted according to need.

'It makes no sense, it may look efficient but it is not. It restricts and restrains, makes us prisoners as much as the others. We're just better fed and not beaten.' She hesitated. 'I have to get out...sometimes I just know I can't take much more. With my mother gone and my father...'

Kendra reached out and held Corophon's hand, 'He'll be back, I'm sure he will'.

Corophon shook her head, 'I doubt it.'

Almost a year ago her father, a scientist, had been involved In a dispute about allocation of resources. A protest had erupted and a disaffected faction used it to further their own cause. Corophon's father, only intent on the allocation issue, had nonetheless been arrested with the rest of the protesters. On his release he had been 'Confined for an indeterminate period at his workstation'. Effectively he lived in his lab. He and his fellow scientists were escorted to work and escorted to confined quarters at the end of the day. He was allowed contact with Corophon once a week and Corophon was moved from their home to the Group Adolescent Unit.

The GAU, home from home for orphans, young criminals, the mentally ill and the otherwise troublesome. If they weren't in an approved family unit, and they were under 18, they were in the GAU. In the GAU they were taught, fed, trained, assigned and organised. They were the pilot scheme for the new wrist code, if it worked there, it would work anywhere. So far it was working well and would be rolled out across the District very soon.

'Kendra. I'm going. I'm sorry, I will miss you. But I have to. You do understand?'

Kendra nodded. 'I don't have to like it but I do understand. Can I help?'

Corophon nodded slowly. 'I have everything I need but unless I can make it to the wire without being detected it amounts to nothing. I need a distraction. I wont ask you...'

'Of course, just tell me what to do!' blurted Kendra.

Corophon reached out and put her hand over Kendra's mouth. 'For a start, keep your voice down'.

11.30pm. The door to Housing block 9 eases open slowly on previously oiled hinges and two small shadows slide out. They creep forward and, hesitating to check the camera, sprint forward and press against the wall of Storage Facility 7. It is dark, the moon is covered by thick cloud. As the cloud drifts it occasionally uncovers the moon briefly before smothering its white glow again. The smaller of the shadows detaches from the wall and opens a small bag. Tying a small cylindrical item to a piece of exposed ironwork the figure moves back to the wall, trailing a piece of thin wire.

'I'm going to miss you, Coro. Please let me come...'

Corophon is choked for a moment then recovers. 'Kendra, we can't both go, you know that. And I can't stay. You are comfortable here, you're not like me. Stay and be safe. I'll miss you but who knows...'. She trailed off. 'You have to go now, please'. She reaches out and touches Kendra on the shoulder, squeezing it gently.

Nodding, Kendra gathered up the small bag. She takes Corophon's hand from her shoulder. Then abruptly leans forward and hugs her. They hug for a moment and it is Kendra who breaks away. 'Let's do this thing', she says, and they both grin in the dark. It's been a 'war cry' for as long as they can remember.

Kendra heads slowly towards the Housing Block, trailing the line behind her. When she reaches the door she turns and raises a hand, moving it slowly back and forth. Corophon sees it and acknowledges it with a brief wave, then turns away and takes a deep breath. She watches the camera and as it starts its return journey towards the Education Block she begins to count. At 4 she moves forward, low and fast, scuttling over bricks and low, shattered walls, ducking under steel wreckage. 13, 14, 15, 16. Coro throws herself into the brick outline of a demolished building and lays perfectly still. She is a third of the way and this is the last cover. From here to the fence it is open ground..18, 19, 20, the camera will be paused at the Storage Facility. 22, 23, 24, 25, 26. Up and running sprinting for the fence, no ducking or crawling just sprinting. 34, 35...there is a flash and a loud bang. In the Security Office the guard looks at his screen, glowing bright green as the night vision camera tries to cope with sudden daylight. An alarm sounds and he runs to the door.

Corphon is running too, at the fence she hunts for it, the gap. She has seen it, in the daylight, it's here somewhere. 'Oh god, Kendra, what have I done to you.' 'Focus, too late to change anything, just make it worthwhile.' Ok, each fence has these gaps, some have several but the West fence only has one. But it's bigger than the others, and the route was better, more cover. The flare begins to dim and still there is no sign. Now there is shouting behind. And a shot. Corophon cries in alarm, tears start and she feels the panic rising. 'There it is, there it is.' Stretching the gap as wide as it will go, whimpering like an animal, she thrusts her bag through and starts to follow it. Her jacket catches on the wire and she cannot move forwards. She tries to go back but the wire is pulled into a funnel and it holds her in place. With a final lurch forward and a sob of terror Corophon pulls free. But it's not over, she must now make the tree line unseen or its all been for nothing.

In the office the screen has cleared and as the camera sweeps through its arc Corophon is clearly visible as a dot, made brighter by her body heat, brighter still because of her panic and the effort of running. The camera sweeps past. The guard leaves the door and returns to his seat in front of the screen.

Corophon crawls forward, dragging her bag. She has thought this through, there is no point crawling, reducing the time she is visible is the best course of action. She stands up and begins to run. Either they can see her or they can't.

They can see her...


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 - Ah, hadn't thought of that...

Settling into his seat the guard glances at the screen. There is a bright dot in the foreground, with a huddle of slightly duller shapes moving around it. The flare, still hot, and three guards, clustered around a fourth body on the ground. In night vision mode the picture is less than crystal clear, shapes are blurred and fuzzy. At the top of the screen another dot is moving rapidly upwards, towards the edge of the screen, out of the camera's field of view. The guard studies it for a second. A fox? Hard to judge the size but bigger than a fox. A wolf? Not been seen around for almost 10 years.

Taking hold of the control joystick the guard moves the camera, repositioning the dot in the centre of the screen, and zooms in. The camera should auto focus but it is slow, it hasn't been focused to that range for several years and the threads are gritty, it usually just pans endlessly back and forth across its designated arc. After a brief hesitation the picture leapt suddenly into sharp focus and for a split second, before the dot disappears into the trees, it resolves into a shape, an upright, running shape with legs and arms. Then it is gone.

'That's crazy, it was a fox, dammit!' The guard Commander was not in the mood for confusion or conflicting reports. With some fool letting off a flare and a clumsy guard falling into the rubble, firing his rifle and putting a neat groove in the upper thigh of one of his companions, the last thing he needed was another hysterical report about someone seen running away from the fence. 'There's no one outside the fence and no one tries to leave District 13, for God's sake! Why would they do that, man? No, it was a prank by one of those reprobates in GAU. I'll find out who, there'll be hell to pay when I do.'

Kendra is back in the dorm. The bag and the wire are hidden behind a cupboard in the GAU Principle's office. Hopefully the least likely place to be searched. Kendra is in bed and covered just seconds before the commotion starts to wake her room mates. Across the room people are sitting up, looking at the door and at each other. 'What's going on?' 'Dunno.' 'Are we being attacked?' A constant fear, always there. One day...

Footsteps and the door flies open. A soldier, not a night guard, but a real soldier, equipped for serious work, with an assault rifle and night vision goggles. 'Everyone ok here?', then gone, on to the next room.

Kendra is now daring to hope that they may have got away with it. Not because they were that well planned but because the expectation is that people will try to break in, not break out. So far no one has even considered that idea. No bed checks, no perimeter searches. Just routine room checks for intruders. Even that not with too much enthusiasm.

The excitement and chatter began to fade and people started to settle. Kendra laid back and began to relax. Had Coro got away? Had they actually got away with it?

'Where's Coro?' A voice from the back of the room. 'Not in her bed', 'Haven't seen her', 'Was she here when the soldier came in?' Muttering then quiet. Then, 'Kendra! Kendra! Where's Coro?' Kendra pretended to rouse herself, coming slowly and sleepily upright in bed. 'She said she couldn't sleep, went to see med staff for a sleeper. Probably kept her down there.' As it is not uncommon for residents of GAU to have trouble sleeping, and Coro had been restless since her arrival, worrying about her father, the suggestion is accepted and gradually peace returns to the dorm.

In the woods it is less restful. Not usually a fearful person the full enormity of her predicament dawns on Coro. Pausing a few feet into the tree line she looked back towards the fence and District 13. As the moon clears the clouds she can see shapes moving between buildings. Some venture as far as the edge of the ruins but none go further, across the open space and towards the fence. 'They just aren't expecting this. Everything is prepared for an attack from the Capitol, they aren't even considering an escape! But when they do, when she is discovered missing...'

Coro turned and headed into the trees, keen to put some distance between herself and the fence. It is clear to her now that once she is discovered missing there will be a search and a pursuit. She had been taught that the other Districts believed District 13 to be destroyed, a nuclear wasteland, devastated by the Capitol as punishment for their rebellion. All the time the Districts believe that, District 13 is safe. There was no point trying to destroy District 13, as well defended as it is, if it is believed already destroyed. But if it should become known that District 13 still exists, actually prospers and thrives without the control of the Capitol, then the risk to District 13 increases, the Capitol could not allow it to go unpunished and still maintain control of the other Districts.

Coro began to run, faster and faster as the extent of her situation hits her. They wont be too fussy how she is caught, she is a threat to District 13 and all that it has achieved, they can not let her escape. At any cost.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - Game face on...

Corophon looked across at Jameson. He had been quiet so far and that suited Coro just fine. She didn't really want to get to know him. She supposed that was why farmers appeared distant and unemotional, a behavioural response that enabled them to kill the animals they had bred and raised. To allow emotional involvement would be to cause conflict and anguish which may affect their ability to carry out their designated task. Not very efficient and potentially damaging.

Building a rapport with someone it is necessary to kill would definitely be counter productive. However, appearing to build a rapport might be useful. But for now she would maintain the confused and shocked demeanour, there was nothing useful to be gained by appearing threatening. Her best weapon for now was to appear unthreatening. She considered for a moment the value of reassuring Jameson, knowing the story of his father's death in a train crash rescue and how he might be reacting to that now, but unable to think of anything beyond 'There, there', she decided it best to leave it.

As the train pulled into the Capitol Jameson brightened a little and made a few cautious waves at the people gathered at the station. 'Ready for this, Crowphone?, he asked.

'It's Corophon.' she said, quietly.

'Yeah, yeah, whatever, Crow. Anyway, you'd better shape up, if we want gifts we need to start looking like we deserve them'.

Coro was quiet for a moment. 'Surely they will give the gifts to the most deserving, not just to people who try to ingratiate themselves. They wont want to waste resources by giving them to people who don't appear to have a good chance of winning.'

'What? Where were you when the Games were on? People give to their favourites, to the underdog, to the injured, to the weak. To the people form their District. Nothing to do with who they think is going to win. It's who they want to tin. You think anyone outside of the Capitol is backing a winner? OK, maybe in 2. Hell, Crow, you need people to like you if you want help'.

Coro started to correct him but decided to let it go. She was trying to make sense of what he had said. It was true that she often didn't 'get' people, their behaviour was often confusing and counter intuitive. She knew she could appear reserved and even cold at times. But she had also seen people make great sacrifices for her, even as she was. Still, that was a problem for another time. Now it was time to meet the Capitol.

As the train drew into the station the crowds went wild. Shouting and cheering, waving, jumping up and down. People dressed in outlandish costumes, clothes Coro had never seen before. A face pressed to the window made Coro start and jerk back. A huge cat! No, a woman but with a cat's face! Was that makeup? No, the lip was split, the nose was small, the nostrils tiny. When the woman smiled Coro could see the long sharp canine teeth. Nagel may have said we can't know how it feels to be a bat, but at that moment Coro knew how it feels to be a mouse.

The carriage door burst open and a woman burst in. 'Where are they?' she demanded. She stood in the doorway, stooping slightly to avoid bumping her head, her black and yellow striped face set in an angry glare.

Both stunned by the sudden appearance of a 2 metre tall wasp in heels, it was Coro who regained her composure first. 'Who?'

Waspwoman glared at her 'Your mentors of course. Where have they gone? They are supposed to be escorting you off the train. Did they say where they were going?

Coro and Jameson looked at each other and shrugged. Jameson spoke. 'No one has been in this carriage since the Peacekeepers shoved us in.'

Waspwoman slumped a little. 'I knew this would happen, I just knew it. District 6, OMG, what a difficult little District. A handful of victors, one cannibal and two shot away Morphlings. You poor, poor children. Still, we do the best with what we have.' She put her hand to her mouth and gasped. 'OMG! No food. Have you eaten nothing the whole journey? Oh my poor dears. No time now, no time. Come on, let's go, it'll just have to wait.'

'Weird' though Corophon, glancing at Jameson. As if reading her thoughts he smiled briefly and winked. They followed Waspwoman to the door. She turned to them and said 'Sorry, where are my manners, I'm Vespula Novitas. I know, I know, blame my father. Now come on'.

'Wow, talk about Nominative Determinism', thought Coro.

Ducking down as she passed through the door Vespula lead them down the corridor to the exit and paused. 'They've seen you once, at the Reaping. They already have an impression of you and it may not be the one you want them to have. Now is your chance to make the impression you want to make. This is where you start the Games'. She flung open the door and stepped out, standing to the side and gesturing to Corophon and Jameson with a flourish.

'Time to play' said Jameson, stepping out with his hands raised, acknowledging the cheers and shouts. He needed to wipe away memory of his attempt at flight, show them that he was worthy of support. Smiling broadly he walked forward.

Corophon hesitated. Inside she was calm but she knew the role she need to play at this stage. It was not the Capitol crowd she need to impress, they weren't trying to kill her. Not directly anyway. It was the other tributes, this was where she set their attitudes to her. Stepping hesitantly off the train she stood back, close to Vespula, as if for support. 'I'm not a threat, I'm not even worth looking at, I'm no challenge.' She thought herself into the mindset, looking down, occasionally glancing nervously at the crowd. Vespula nudged her and she looked up, giving a small, shy smile. The Capitol crowd barely glanced in her direction. Jameson had their attention, as did the tributes from the next carriage. One of them looked in her direction and gave a broad grin. He waved and shouted, but she could barely make it out about the noise. 'Hi, I'm Dusty.' is all she caught.

'Wake up, Crow, we're off to meet our team. Jameson had her arm and Coro resisted the urge to break his fingers there and then, no sense showing your cards too soon. She looked away and allowed herself to be lead off, through the crowd towards the buildings behind.


End file.
